2013 NFL Playoffs: Conference Championship Preview

All right, I’ll do this quickly and smoothly, basically so that my predictions are documented somewhere.

Here are the (very short) previews for the AFC and NFC Championship games.

NFC Championship

San Francisco at Atlanta (Sunday, 3 PM ET)

Atlanta almost found a way to blow it against Seattle last weekend. Not just once, but twice.

San Francisco won’t be so kind if the Falcons want to play that way again. Colin Kaepernick was everything that was advertised last weekend, and there isn’t much doubt in my mind that he can come up with a similar performance in this game.

It was nice to see Matt Ryan finally get a playoff victory, but the joy ride ends today for the Falcons. I have the 49ers in this one, so at least one Harbaugh will be coaching in the Super Bowl.

My Pick: 34-24 San Francisco

AFC Championship

Baltimore at New England (Sunday, 6:30 PM ET)

Baltimore really shouldn’t be playing in this game. Frankly, Rahim Moore didn’t look like an NFL defensive back when he attempted to backpedal his way towards Jacoby Jones and the football. You have to feel bad for him, but Denver may actually have Peyton Manning’s three turnovers to blame for the loss more than the defensive effort.

Either way, Baltimore comes into this game with a lot of confidence. Joe Flacco stepped up big, and there is no reason to suggest that he won’t be able to do the same thing again against New England’s defense. The Patriots nearly let Houston back into the game last weekend after building a solid lead over the Texans in the first half.

New England is the bully, and unless you’re a fan of the team, you’re probably rooting against them. It will be a tough task, but I like what I see from Baltimore right now. Things are going right for the Ravens, and I think the ball will continue to roll their way in this one.

I like Baltimore to upset the Patriots and set up a Harbaugh vs. Harbaugh coaching showdown in Super Bowl XLVII.